


Planet Earth is Blue

by FleetSparrow



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Astronauts, M/M, space stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-12
Updated: 2014-01-12
Packaged: 2018-01-08 14:28:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1133746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FleetSparrow/pseuds/FleetSparrow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dick Grayson and Jason Todd have been sent on a mission to Mars to find whatever remains of the Martian civilization.  But something about the project just seems fishy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Planet Earth is Blue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hawkstout](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hawkstout/gifts).



> Prompt: Jason/Dick, Astronaut AU, Defiance

It had been thirty days, a whole month since they'd started this mission and left Earth behind. A two-man mission to Mars to find out what was left of the vast civilization the Green Man had come from. A long ride there and a long ride back meant the two who went had better be pretty close friends. Things got tense when people were stuck out in space.

The ship was a spacious one, well-designed-- by Ted Kord himself, Dick had heard-- and outfitted comfortably for a long voyage. When the Green Man was found, both the scientific community and the public had cried out for more information. How could a civilization as advanced as the one described by the Green Man have been completely annihilated? Surely something of them must survive, some remnant of the lost culture, perhaps some technology not yet known to mankind. The heads of Wayne Enterprises and Lex Corp announced a joint project, one that would seek to reclaim what was supposedly lost. The greatest minds of the world had gathered together to put this mission together, incorporating what knowledge the Green Man could convey into the project. It would be the discovery of the millennium, greater than that of the remaining Kryptonians in the American Midwest.

Mars, the Red Planet. Earth's dead next-door neighbor.

"If you ask me, this whole mission's a load of shit."

Dick sighed, but didn't look away from his log. "I don't remember asking you, Jason. In fact, I'm pretty sure we've been very quiet the past two hours."

Beside him, his partner rolled his eyes. ”I’d throw somethin’ at you if I thought it’d go anywhere.” Dick laughed, so Jason continued, "I mean it. There's somethin' I don't like about this. I keep thinking we're going to arrive to find out we're the rare delicacy shipped all the way from Earth as some sort of present from Daddy."

"Well, I didn't see anything about 'serving man' in the Green Man's file, so I think we're safe."

"Dick, I'm serious," Jason said, leaning forward to touch Dick's arm. "I don't like this mission."

Dick pressed his lips together and looked at Jason's hand. "I don't know that there's much we can do about it. We could cut the mission short if you really think there should be another team on it. We could stay the minimum time there, or claim technical troubles and try to head back now." There was an unspoken 'but you know what that means' hanging after Dick's sentence that made Jason pull away and return to his monitor. "Jay... Look, if you're worried about something, tell me. We can try and figure this out together, OK? What are you suspicious of?"

Jason snorted. "You don't wanna know."

"Yeah, I do." Dick swiveled his chair around to face Jason. "Got nothing but time. Talk to me."

Jason sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Well, first thing is, I don't trust Luthor farther than I could punt him."

Dick laughed. "Nobody does! But he's not his entire company, you know. He was probably barely involved outside of publicity."

"See? That's what I meant," Jason said, scowling. "You don't wanna hear it."

"I'm just trying to be reassuring." Jason didn't look back at him. "Alright, fine. I won't say another word. You talk, I'll just listen. Promise."

"That's not helpful, idiot," Jason said, rubbing his face hard. "I don't want you to just listen to me for the sake of it. I want you to--" He sighed. "You've gotta trust me."

Dick leaned forward and took Jason's hand. "OK. I'm listening. I'm _really_ listening."

Jason looked over at their hands for a moment before slowly turning his over to interlace their fingers. "OK. Well, first is Luthor. You remember what he'd wanted to do to the Kryptonians."

"Yeah, I remember. You think he wants to do the same with any Martians we find? Study them? He's already met the Green Man."

"There's... I heard a rumor that Luthor had started a cloning project to make more 'Supermen'."

"That's just a rumor. He's using too much Wayne tech, Bruce would have to sign off on--"

"That's what Tim's doing," Jason interrupted. Dick's face fell. "That's why he didn't come with us. That's why we don't have a tech guy. Bruce sent him to monitor Luthor's involvement on that project."

Dick frowned. "That's what he was talking about. KON-EL. That must be the project name. I didn't think about it when he mentioned it."

Jason sucked his teeth and nodded. "That's the first thing. Second thing... I feel like this is a trap. If there's something bad enough out there to wipe out an entire Martian civilization to the point that the Green Man says there's nothing left, then what the hell are we doin' looking for it? Sounds like a suicide mission to me." He raised an eyebrow, waiting for Dick to respond.

Dick nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, it does."

"And, the biggest thing that I... I didn't really want to say out loud in case it was true, but..." Jason let out a long sigh and bowed his head. When he looked back up at Dick, there was a hard sadness to his eyes. "I think we were picked specifically to die out here."

Dick's hand clenched in Jason's. "What? Why? Because of Bruce?"

"I think so," Jason said. "I think... Well, you know what kind of information I've been finding. You know what someone like Luthor would do to get rid of someone who knows that. You, you probably would've been picked anyway. You're the star student. I'm not. Any one of the Titans could have been picked over me, and should've been picked over me if we're talking about skills and training. That's why I don't think we're meant to make it back."

Dick's breathing was getting shallow as Jason spoke, his chest tightening with a cold fear that he just might be right. "I'm gonna contact Oracle," he said suddenly, letting go of Jason's hand. "If anyone can tell us if something's wrong, she can."

He turned his chair around, opening up the communication channel to their base. "Robin One to Oracle. Robin One to Oracle. Requesting private channel. Over."

For three agonizingly long seconds, the channel was silent. "Oracle to Robin One. Patching you through to Frequency B-428. Over."

Jason leaned forward and switched frequencies on their end. "Robin One here," he said, flopping back in his chair. "O, we need help."

"Is something wrong with the ship?"

"No," Dick said. "At least, not as far as we know." He exchanged a glance with Jason. "O, we need you to do some digging. We're starting to think this mission's a suicide run."

"Right. I'll get Cass on a search for any hidden info on this project and get Steph on call to the Cave. Send me your ship's data and I'll compare it to what I've got here. Ten minutes. Good to hold?"

"We ain't goin' anywhere," Jason said with a shrug. Oracle didn't respond. "Well, at least we've got a better team on our side than most."

Dick nodded. "We're gonna have to check in with Luthor's team in a few minutes. Almost time for the hourly report."

"Hmph," Jason snorted. "Hope O can get back to us before then. Really don't want them to hear her call through."

Dick nodded and hailed Oracle again. "Gotta report in in five. Will hail you again on this frequency after. Over and out."

"It's gonna be a long five minutes," Jason said, roughly.

It certainly felt like it. Twice, Jason suggested they call in early to get it over with, but Dick said no. If they checked in early, it would seem like there was something wrong. They had to wait until the appointed time before they could call in, even if that meant silently waiting through a few minutes of gut-churning tension. Finally, it was time.

"Robin One to Lex Base. Robin One to Lex Base. Robin One checking in, nothing to report. Over."

"Lex Corp to Robin One, glad to hear it. Mr. Luthor would like to speak to you two. Over."

Dick and Jason exchanged a wary look. "We'd be honored to talk to him. Over."

There was a moment of silence and then Lex Luthor's rich baritone came in over the speakers. "I just wanted to congratulate you on your mission. You know you're doing the world proud. This is the kind of mission that's going to earn you two some medals."

"Yeah?" Jason said, the sneer probably too evident in his voice. "Are those the kinds of medals we get to see, or--"

"Thank you, sir," Dick said quickly, smacking Jason's leg. "We appreciate the compliment. We're just doing our jobs."

"And you're doing them well," Luthor replied. "Still got a long ride ahead of you gentlemen. How are you feeling so far?"

An image began to fill Jason's monitor, the green face of Oracle's symbol. As Dick replied to Luthor, Jason watched his screen. Images of the ship began flashing onto it, schematics and plans and data that Jason had never seen before. Their ship had containment pods on it big enough to hold bodies a whole head and shoulders taller than Jason. There was an entire subbasement under their bunks that they had never seen, things that weren't in the diagrams Jason and Dick were given.

He reached over and tugged on Dick's arm, silently pointing to the information on the screen. Dick paled and nodded, replying mindlessly to whatever question Luthor was asking him now. They needed to get O back on the line immediately.

"Thank you so much for speaking with us, Mr. Luthor. It's time for us to do our daily exercises. Robin One over and out."

When the communication ended, Dick released his breath in a harsh sigh. "Let's get Oracle back to talk."

"What've you got for us, O?" Jason asked once they were back on their private frequency.

"Odd things. Something's not adding up and I just told the ship to start a scan and it's finding something really strange."

"We saw the plans you sent Jay," Dick said. "What's all that stuff for? Why didn't we know about it?"

"What plans?"

Jason glanced at Dick. "The ones I'm looking at on my screen, O. Shows three containment pods and the extra hold--"

"I haven't sent you anything," Oracle said, sharply. "The scans are picking up another life form on your ship. It might be messing with your equipment. I'm patching this through to the Cave. We'll find out what that is."

"What do you mean, there's another--?" Dick cut himself off, trying to process what she was telling them. "We've been out here for a month, how didn't we see it?"

Jason looked back at the screen where Oracle's symbol once again filled the screen, replacing the information. Slowly, the symbol stretched and morphed into another face.

"The Green Man," Jason said, backing up as far as he could in his chair.

"What?" Oracle asked, as Dick and Jason just stared at the screen. "What are you seeing? Dick? Jason? Talk to me."

It wasn't very apparent at first, but slowly the face in the screen became more tangible. It bulged and pushed its way up and out, until an entire head was sticking up through the monitor. Jason unhooked himself from his seat and pushed away toward Dick. The two floated to the back of the room, watching in horror as more of the creature came out from the monitor until the Green Man stood in front of them, a giant of twisted proportions.

Then, the alien began to shrink, its limbs contracting in on themselves until he was no taller than Jason, his features distinctly more human. "Please, do not be afraid. I am J'onn Jonzz, the last of the Martian Manhunters. I have come to help you."

"Help us?" Jason croaked, holding onto Dick's arm tightly. "You... He... Dick, his mouth didn't move. Dick...."

"I know, Jay." Dick squeezed his arm. "Why are you here to help us? Why did you wait this long before telling us you were here?"

"I needed to be sure."

"Sure of what?" Jason snapped. "Sure that we'd be too far from Earth to turn around? Sure that we'd be isolated enough to kill us?"

The Green Man-- J'onn-- looked at Jason, his eyes almost...sad. "Sure of the plan that was being formed against your people. There is something still living on Mars. Open your minds and let me show you." He raised his arms, hands stretching out impossibly long to reach them, splaying over the tops of their heads. "Allow me to show you."

Visions of a planet full of aliens like the Green Man filled their minds, a peaceful civilization by all appearances. Suddenly, there was fire, on the ground, in their heads, heat and flame and force and then the planet was bare, the aliens dead. Among the bodies came another form, green like the Martians, but clearly not one of them. He was fighting with J'onn, then putting him onto a platform before J'onn disappeared and the vision faded.

"That," J'onn said, removing his hands, "is the being known as Brainiac. After my people were destroyed, he found me and sent me to Earth. He is waiting for this ship to arrive to travel back to Earth and enslave it. I had hoped that what I had read from his mind was wrong, but it seems he had found a way to contact your Lex Luthor. That is how this ship and this mission was formed."

"I knew it," Jason said. "I fucking knew it. What was it going to do with us? Take over our bodies?"

"One of you, yes," J'onn replied.

Dick looked at Jason. "What are we gonna do?"

"There is, in the hidden compartment, a fully operational escape pod. I believe it was placed there so whichever of you controlled by Brainiac could escape when the ship crashed back down on Earth. I will put you into the containment pods and place them into the escape pod. From there, I can control our return to Earth while this ship continues its voyage to Mars."

"But if it gets there, Brainiac can use it to come back. It's already programmed to do that."

"That is why I revealed myself to you now. I need you two to disable it so it can only make one voyage."

"How do we know you're not gonna just abandon us in here, or kill us on the way?" Jason asked.

J'onn looked at him. "On Mars, I was a peace-keeper, much like your Earth police. I lost my home. If I can, I would like to make Earth my new one. I do not wish to see another planet destroyed by of this creature."

Jason and Dick exchanged a glance and Dick nodded solemnly. "We won't let that happen. We'll help you however we can." Dick floated back to the controls and began disabling the return flight.

Jason watched J'onn cautiously, but moved a little closer. "Those pods, they're big enough for two people. Put us in together."

J'onn nodded. "You have my word that no harm will come to the two of you from me."

Suddenly, the speaker crackled to life. "Lex Base to Robin One. You are changing the controls. Stop this action immediately. Over."

"Robin One to Lex Base," Jason said, floating over to Dick. "Tell Luthor to shove it up his ass. Over and out." He reached over and smashed the radio's button, ending transmissions.

Dick rolled his eyes at Jason, and turned back to J'onn. "Got it. Do what you need to."

J'onn led them to the containment tubes, opening one for them to climb into. They settled in facing each other. "Well," Jason began, swallowing hard around a nervous lump in his throat. "See you at the splashdown?"

Dick smiled. "Can't wait, Earth-saver." He leaned in and kissed Jason as the lid closed above them. As they drifted off, they wrapped their arms around each other, gently squeezing each other for comfort until they slept.

J'onn pulled the tube down to the escape pod and settled them in, starting up the program back to Earth. He would make sure to protect those young men. J'onn had read the mind of Lex Luthor, and he was not a man to take defiance well. But J'onn was a Manhunter of Mars, and now, of Earth.

They would be safe.

**Author's Note:**

> In case anyone was wondering, KON-EL stands for Project Name: "Kryptonian Offspring Neo-Evolution Lifeform".


End file.
